Which set of best practices is commonly used to guide IT service delivery and operations?

• A. COBIT
• B. ITIL
• C. ISO 27001
• D. TOGAF

Answer: (B)

IT service management uses a structured set of practices to ensure services are delivered and operated consistently and reliably. ITIL provides that practical, widely adopted collection of processes and guidance for the entire service lifecycle—designing, transitioning, operating, and continually improving services. It covers core activities like incident management to restore normal service quickly, problem management to prevent recurring issues, change management to minimize risk from changes, and service level management to ensure agreements with the business are met. This direct focus on how services are delivered and run makes ITIL the best fit for guiding day-to-day IT service delivery and operations.

In contrast, COBIT centers on governance and control objectives, ISO 27001 on information security management systems, and TOGAF on enterprise architecture. Each is valuable for its domain, but ITIL specifically targets the operational aspects of IT services.